National Money in Montana Race

Republican and Democratic groups at the national level are dumping advertising money into Montana’s May 25 special congressional election to replace Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Wednesday it will spend $400,000 on television advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts to help Democratic candidate Rob Quist. On the Republican side, the Congressional Leadership Fund on Wednesday started running a new TV spot bashing Quist, and said it has now spent $2 million on TV ads criticizing the Democratic candidate.

The TV and organizational money comes on top of nearly $200,000 Democrats have already put into the Montana State Party to help the Quist campaign. Quist is running against Republican Greg Gianforte of Bozeman and Libertarian Mark Wicks of Inverness for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Zinke resigned to become President Trump’s Interior secretary.